Discliamer: When Joss goes off of his 'I-laugh-in-the-face-of-all- BAers-crack,' maybe I'll get a shot at them.
Distribution: My hosts, my sites.
Summary: Who are they going to bring in now?
Rating: R Pairing BAus
AN: So Angelus isn't as mean in this part... go slap your inner moppet and get over it.

They had left him alone again, and this after a raking over from Wesley, the pompous asshole. Didn't he know how to do it? The way that man thought to question was so frightfully dull. Not even good with the insults, and despite his tough appearance very easy to rile up.

The thing that bothered him the most was the fact that he thought Faith could be Buffy. Damn the prick! Its been years, and it shouldn't be this hard for him to remember the feel of her presence. He wasn't that old.

A frown marred his angelic face, as he paced back and forth on the far side of his cage. He did remember that when he was near her, he got the tickle at the base of his spine. That was his "be aware" sense or slayer sense, just like she called her vampire sense the "spider sense." Angelus stopped mid pace, and looked up towards the ceiling.

"Good God," he muttered.

The slayer essence was in both of them, weaker in Faith, but still there. He never thought of it, and now that he did he was beyond anger. Closing his eyes hard, he kicked the bars, and turned away, resuming his pacing. So what made her presence so damn special?

Her soul?

What a horrifying thought, that'd mean he wouldn't like being in the presence of her demon. Which meant he couldn't turn her. Which left him without some fun… although being with her alone was fun in and of itself.

But it wasn't just her- there was something more to her essence then the soul. Something that clinged to his mind, wrapping itself tightly around him never to let him go. Whatever it was, it eluded him, leaving him bereft of something conclusive.

He didn't trust his senses, until he actually saw her in the flesh, he wouldn't believe that she was here. His body was finely tuned, awaiting to jump at a moments notice, but he wrote it off for the wonder bitch upstairs.

I bet she didn't know that the scent of that man's blood and Wesley's still clung to her skin. Its engraved upon her essence now, never to leave. A dirty spot that no amount of cleaning would wash it out. It was hers until after death.

Funny, he could no longer smell the blood of his innocents on his hands anymore. Maybe it could be washed away, if one didn't have a soul before. He felt clean and sparkly new, but with a mind full of years and wisdom. It was a strange feeling, he didn't have that the last time.

"Am I interrupting some serious brooding on your behalf?" a soft voice asked from behind him.

Turning, with his hands leaving his pockets, he looked on at a vision of marked beauty. Angelus' eyebrows knitted together as he took in her face. She was raw and her eyes looked bleak. She was hiding nothing but deep sorrow.

"What happened?" Angelus asked concerned, walking to the bars, curling his hands around them gently, watching her face.

"Oh you know, the not so run of the mill vampires."

Growling low, Angelus cocked his head watching her dead eyes, "Who? When I get out of here, I'll beat them to a bloody pulp and rip out their spinal cords."

"Wow, you are never cryptic are you?" Buffy said tiredly, sitting down against the wall a hairs breath from the red line.

Angelus walked over to where she sat, and sat down on the floor as well. She looked worn out, and not at all sure she should be here. There was nothing in her eyes but darkness. He couldn't believe this was her, it just didn't feel like she was here.

But it smelled like her.

That essence that was only hers. The tempting smell of her blood, the lingering scent of her flesh and the hint of an old arousal. This dead thing was his Buffy, but not the one he remembered.

"It is you."

Angelus watched her raise an eyebrow at him, before wincing and shutting off the expression. Her voice was colored with amusement when she spoke, "Who else would I be?"

"I don't know. You just look dead, you act dead. What happened to you since the last time my stupid souled half saw you?"

"Would you have been there in Sunnydale?"

"I'd never have left."

"But you would have stayed to cause trouble."

"Maybe I would have wised up. I don't want trouble with you, I just want to be with you."

Buffy laughed, the sound without mirth in it. Her voice entrenched in derision, "Yeah, sure. Demon and demon hun? You never quit."

"As painful as it is for me to admit Buffy, I do like you all alive and everything that goes with it. It makes you interesting."

Buffy nodded, rolling her head to look at him.

Angelus met her eyes with his, trying to read her soul. Her thoughts. Scooching closer to the edge of his cage, he reached his hand out slowly to her, letting his guard drop.

"What's happening in Sunnydale that makes you look like you wish you were there?"

"The First," Buffy said quietly, ignoring his outstretched hand, too tired to even stay awake at the moment.

"The First is back?"

"And causing trouble again with the ensouled vampire."

"Wait! What the fuck? What new souled vampire?" Angelus yelled, jerking back from her and standing up in one fluid motion.

"Spike of course, the one vampire that's actually stayed in Sunnydale for about seven years."

"How in fuck's name did he accomplish that?"

Buffy uncurled her body and lied out against the ground, using her arm as a pillow. She sighed, and started to close her eyes, when Angelus shifted again, and touched her fingers. Her eyes blinked open slowly with a questioning look in them.

"How did he get the soul?"

A big yawn escaped from her lips as Buffy tried to stay awake, and with a barely audible mumble, "He went to a mythical dude thing in Africa."

"Why?"

"To be the man I wanted."

"Who the fuck does he think he is?" Angelus shouted under his breath.

"A better you…"

"Buffy you're tired, close your eyes and go to sleep."

"I can't, when I do all I see is their deaths."

Leaning on his knees, he grabbed her hands within his and shook them gently trying to keep her attention focused.

"Who Buffy? Who do you see?"

"I see death stalk them."

"Them who Buffy?"

"The girls."

"Now whose being cryptic?" Angelus said with a grin.

His eyes quieted when he saw that she was sleeping, but his thoughts were troubled. Something other then the beast was hurting the good guys. Why did he care? Oh yeah… cause she fought them.

How the fuck did Spike get a soul?

Who the hell were the girls she dreamed off?

Damn the bars… was the last Angelus thought about, before he settled down pressing his frame against them trying to settle as close to her as he could to make sure the tiny slayer slept undisturbed.

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